February 11, 1930 – Raymond H. Torrey (Sec, Ass. For the Prot. of the Adks.) to James S. Cawley (McGraw-Shaw Company, NYC) –
Dear Mr. Cawley:
After receiving your letter of January 23, regarding your suggestion that the State acquire land on the east side of Lake George near Black Mountain, I wrote to Mr. William G. Howard, superintendent, lands and forests, Conservation Department, to ask the attitude of the department. He sent me a memorandum, which he had made for Commissioner MacDonald, to furnish Lieut. Gov. Lehman, who, he said, agreed with their view that acquisition of this land by the state at the present time, was neither necessary nor desirable.
In this memorandum, Mr. Howard reported that the owner of this land, Mr. Knapp, has provided picnic grounds and trails to the public, and has protected the forest from fire and from pine blister rust. He is unwilling to sell his property. The only benefit that would accrue to the state through acquisition by the department would be to assure that the area would not be lumbered, and lumbering is not probable while the land remains in its present ownership. If lumbering operations were contemplated, the State has the authority to appropriate the lands at any time.
I reported on this at a meeting of the Trustees of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks, on Feb. 7, and they concluded to take no action at this time.
Your interest in matters pertaining to conservation of the Adirondacks Forest Preserve is appreciated, and we shall always be glad to have suggestions from you in this line. The other matter, that of the alleged undesirable developments on private land on Tongue Mountain, is awaiting a report by the Conservation Department and the State Health Department, to the Land Board.
Very truly yours,
Raymond H. Torrey, Secretary